EMERY
Now that she was here, looking at Caleb face-to-face, she couldn’t just blurt out the news. Not with Chamber members and Skylight patrons milling around, wine glasses in hand, walking on the deck as if walking on water.
She’d drawn attention to herself by barging into the banquet room, yelling for Caleb like she had no sense, awakening curiosities. She caught a few glances, smiled at his parents, their interest undisguised.
No, this news was too big to drop as casually as if she’d discovered a new muffin flavor at Sweet Conversations.
“Let’s meet at your place. Wait, now that I think about it, I should tell Simon too.” Emery paced along the dock’s railing. “But just Simon.”
“You drove all the way here and burst into the room just to say you want to tell melater?”
“I lost my head for a bit. However, I’ve found it now. It’s best if we talk in private.” She squinted through the shadowed glass wall of the banquet room. A handful of people were watching them, talking together. “Text Simon. Tell him we’ll be at his place after dark.”
“After dark. Got it. Should we dress in black? Wear ski masks?”
“Hey, that’s not a bad idea, Ransom.” She patted his chest. “I’m starved. Is the food any good here?”
“At fifty bucks a plate, it better be. Come on, let’s go grab something from a food truck and pretend you don’t have this big secret to tell. Am I going to like it?”
“You’re going to like it. I think. Yes, you will. Oh man, I hope so. If not, I’m in trouble.”
Thirty minutes later, they sat on a Beachwalk bench with sandwiches and soda,nottalking about Emery’s big news. The sun was high, warming the afternoon, and several spring breakers tossed a Frisbee on the beach.
Two bites in, Emery couldn’t eat any more. She was full of excitement. The Royal Blues were coming to town.
After lunch, they passed the afternoon playing a game with Bentley until he went out to ride bikes with friends. Then the conversation turned to Caleb’s unpacked boxes.
“Are they holding up the walls or something?” Emery peeked into the box markedMementos.
“Bentley used them to make a fort. I can’t mess that up, can I?”
Finally, the late winter sun set enough for them to knock on Simon’s door. A dog barked. The porch light came on. An eager-looking Simon invited them in.
“Emery, this is my wife, Nadine. So, what’s this all about?” Simon sat on the edge of the couch next to his wife.
The living room was beautiful and comfy, with rich hardwood floors, beams on the ceiling, and a western window framing the winter skyline.
“Well—” She glanced at Caleb, then Simon and Nadine. “I’m not sure how to say it now that the moment is here.” She wanted to hold onto this special news a moment longer. It’d become a part of her. What if they didn’t think it was a big deal? What if they rejected the idea?
“Em?” Caleb said.
“Here goes.” She adjusted her position on the loveseat so she could see her audience better. “About a month ago, I wrote to the House of Blue in Lauchtenland, using Rachel Kirby’s private email address to the Chamber Office.” She paused for any questions. There were none. “The idea came to me after one of the Main Street meetings where someone, I think Duke, maybe Adele, said we needed a big event to bring attention to the town, especially the East End. And hopefully bring us all together. So I took a shot and requested a visit from the royal family. This morning Sted from the Chamber Office called. Their Royal Highnesses Prince John and Princess Gemma want to visit Sea Blue Beach at the end of April. He asked if that worked for us and—” The moment needed a drum roll or trumpet blast. “I said yes.” Ta-da.
Her audience gaped at her, wide-eyed. What was her interpretation of their expression? Unbelief? Maybe,“That’s it? Yourbignews?”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did you hear what I said? The royal family, descendants of Prince Blue, want to visit Sea Blue Beach. I hope it’s okay I said yes.” This wasn’t goingat alllike she imagined.
“Well,” Nadine began, a bit breathless, glancing at Simon, “that is usually prom weekend.”
“True.” Simon nodded. “Emery, do you think they could come the weekend before or after?”
“What? Ask them to ... You’re not serious, are you?”
“Of course we’re not serious.” Nadine launched to her feet, shouting. “This isincredible. Emery, you brilliant, brave soul! How come we never thought to ask before?”
“Emery, you’re going to get a Citizen’s Star Award for this.” Simon pumped the air with his fist so hard he strained his arm.
“You have those?” She waved off the compliment. “So do you think we can pull this off?”
